About Me

Even though I grew up in the city, my dream was to have my own home in the country. After finding the right place, I had to learn about some essentials of country living. That included learning how to take care of the septic tank.
In the city, I never worried about where everything went when I flushed the toilet or took a shower. I soon learned that if I wanted to enjoy the serenity of my new home, I had better learn the basics of septic tank cleaning and repair. Fortunately, I found somebody who taught me when to deal with things on my own and when to call a professional.
If you just moved to a home that has a septic tank, keep reading. I'll help you know when its time for the tank to be inspected, cleaned, or repaired. Trust me, that knowledge will come in handy.

When it comes to the outdoors, nothing fits quite like teak patio furniture. With teak, you get all the benefits of its classic golden-honey look, without necessarily worrying about its longevity. This is because the heaviness and denseness of teak furniture usually makes it resistant to weather elements. Add to this the fact that it has natural oils that make it resistant to insects and moisture, and you have the ideal furniture to use on your patio. However, the fact that teak furniture is durable doesn't mean that it doesn't need care. If you want your furniture to remain in perfect condition for a long time, you have to show it some love. The following tips will come in handy in helping you do so.

Don't fall into the temptation of applying teak oil on your outdoor furniture

It is tempting to assume that you need to apply teak oil on your outdoor furniture in order to maintain its new-teak color. This is a temptation that you should resist. This is mainly because there is a big difference between the naturally occurring oils that give the furniture its color and manufactured teak oils. Therefore, applying these oils on the surface of your not-yet-grayed teak is bound to destroy its look.

Applying the manufactured oils, which are basically made of different types of solvents and linseed oil, will interfere with the natural composition of the naturally occurring teak oils. It will therefore make your furniture dependent on the manufactured oils, since it will accelerate the aging and drying process of the teak. You will end up with teak furniture that has faded color patches because of uneven aging and drying, something that will leave you with unappealing pieces of outdoor furniture.

Teak furniture has enough naturally occurring oils to handle whatever the outdoors might throw at it. It is best to keep away from interfering with the chemical balance of the wood. Doing so will allow you to enjoy the benefits of beautiful outdoor teak furniture for a long time.

What to do if the furniture starts to gray

Teak is not immune to the natural processes of oxidation and evaporation. With time, furniture made from teak usually starts to lose its golden-honey color. The silver gray color that it assumes is great and shouldn't really affect its appeal.

However, if you are in love with the golden-honey look of teak, you needn't worry. The graying effect is usually only surface-deep. A teak cleaner is usually enough to restore your furniture to the golden-honey state. And if the graying proves to be too tough for the cleaner, sanding the furniture will get the job done.